Friendship Games are Magic - Alternate Take
by Groudon199
Summary: Since transferring to Crystal Prep Academy, things have gotten slightly better. The students don't tease me, but they don't talk to me, either. The Friendship Games are coming up, and Principal Cinch forced me to take part. As excited as I am to see that boy again, I'm dreading going back to the school that made my life hell. [Language, suggestive dialogue, MLPEG:FG spoilers]
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my fanfic "Friendship Games are Magic" as told through Olivia's point-of-view. This is a supplementary story, so reading the other is recommended.**

 **Olivia's skin color is light grey (a bit lighter than Derpy's) and her hairstyle is similar to Mystery Mint's (timestamp 0:10:25 in the iTunes/DVD/Blu-ray version, far left), but about 2 inches shorter and brown. She has a prosthetic right leg which is covered by a knee-high sock.**

* * *

 *****Week 2, Wednesday*****

Almost everybody is lined up at the classroom door. Even at Crystal Prep, students are eager to leave. I'm still sitting at my desk in the back left of the room. After being among the last to leave at Canterlot High for so long, it's become second-nature, even here.

The final bell rings, and the students rush out the door. Not leaving right away has its advantages, especially since my schedule takes me all over the school. I can wait a bit longer at the end of the day. After a few minutes, I stand up, put my backpack on, and leave the room. There are still some students hanging around, but the halls aren't as congested as they usually are.

The school's reputation is well-deserved. From the couple games I attended, not only do they care a ton about winning, the players get super aggressive whenever they're not. It's like they're incapable of having fun unless they're destroying the competition.

* * *

 _"You're a former Canterlot High School student. We don't associate with your type."_

* * *

Sugarcoat's words were blunt, but it's something I figured would happen. I'd rather have everybody ignore me than deal with the constant teasing at CHS.

I reach the first flight of stairs. I always dread this. Okay... Grab both railings, lead each step with my left leg, quickly pull my right one up. Every time I do this, I feel like I'm 13 again. I told the principal I can't do this every day, but she said I should suck it up. I swear the bitch has it out for me. Why else would all four of my classes be on different floors?

Okay, first set of stairs done. Now for the second. Going up and down stairs wasn't an issue at CHS because Principal Celestia made sure I'd have to use them as little as possible. Principal Cinch did the exact opposite. Even when my parents addressed this, she said the schedule was finalized and there's nothing she could do. I don't mind walking around a bit, but spending this much time climbing stairs is applying a lot of stress to the prosthetic, even with my very careful movements. I'm afraid it'll break soon. I've actually considered keeping my spare in my backpack just in case.

I arrive at my locker. If I didn't have to carry 3 heavy books, I'd keep everything with me and go straight to the exit at the end of the day. Don't need my Algebra book, don't need my Biology book. Got some History homework to do, though. Oh, _of course_ it's under the books I just put away... I set my backpack down, then lift the other books to get my History one. I put it in my backpack, then close my locker.

"Olivia?" I look to my right. It's Dean Cadance. "Principal Cinch wants to see you."

"Right now?"

"She said it's real important."

I sigh. "Alright..." What the hell could she want, anyway? I've been staying out of trouble, and my grades aren't terrible.

I walk over to the principal's door and open it. "You wanted to see me?"

"Come in, Olivia."

I close the door behind me. Every time I walk in here, it feels like I'm walking into a mob boss's office. I could easily see her petting a cat while she sits in her fancy-looking chair. A black cat... I sit on the stool in front of her desk.

"How are you doing today?"

I sigh. "I _was_ doing fine."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. The Friendship Games are a couple days away. You get to see your old school again."

I really don't want to go back... "About that..."

"Which brings me to why I called you here. You see, Canterlot High has been developing a sort of... reputation lately. Test scores, grades, even athletics are on the rise."

"And... what does this have to do with me?"

"I understand _you_ had a reputation there. Everybody knew who you were."

"Yeah, a _bad_ rep."

"I'll cut right to the chase. You will be joining our team for the Friendship Games."

Uh... no. "Okay... Do I have any say in this?"

"Since everyone over there knows you, seeing you playing for their rivals will likely throw them off their game. Not that we need the help, but I like to cover all my bases."

"Principal Cinch, I didn't even plan on _attending_ the games because of the CHS students. There's no way I'm _taking part_ in them, especially with my prosthetic."

"Ah, yes. Your prosthetic. I feel you're making a big deal out of something minor. You've been attending this school for seven months, and you're still walking."

"Only because I'm super careful with how I handle the stairs."

"Which means you should have no trouble with whatever the games throw at you."

Arguing with her is pointless. She's not gonna take no for an answer. "Can you at least tell me what the events are?"

"The events are kept a secret until the games start. Don't worry. There won't be anything you can't handle."

I assume that means I won't have to run or jump. Guess she's not a _total_ bitch after all. It'd be nice to meet up with Cloudflare again as well, assuming he didn't move away, too. I sigh. "Okay, fine."

"Excellent. We leave for CHS tomorrow for their silly 'meet-n-greet'. Report to the front of the school after the final bell."


	2. Thursday

**A/N: Cloudflare has light orange skin (a bit lighter than Applejack's) and short green-blue hair, and he wears a plain black shirt and blue pants.**

* * *

I step onto the bus.

"Are we gonna win?!" Indigo Zap is practically in my face.

"Uh... Hell yeah?" That sounded weak.

She makes a buzzer sound. "Try again! Are we gonna win?!"

Didn't help that she caught me off-guard. "Hell yeah!"

"I can't hear you!"

" _Hell yeah!_ "

"That's the spirit! Up top!" She gives me a high-five. " _Hell yeah!_ "

"I admire your enthusiasm," Dean Cadance says to us, "but watch the language."

"Sorry," I say. "Got a little carried away."

I walk up the aisle and sit in the back right window seat. Part of me's excited to possibly see Cloudflare again, but another part's super nervous about going back. I look out the window. Twilight walks to the front of the line for this bus. She's on the team, too? Why? This is, like, the exact _opposite_ of something she'd participate in. Also, doesn't she know how lines work? You get in them from the back, not the front! Dean Cadance lets her on anyway.

"Are we gonna win?!"

I've never heard Twilight get excited about anything. This should be good.

Indigo makes a buzzer sound. "Wrong answer! Are... we gonna... win?!"

Twilight steps onto the bus. "Um... I guess? I-It's just... I mean... I heard that CHS is doing well now. With their reputation. And - I mean, it's not better than ours, of course, but we can't let them do it, you know? Win, I mean? Right?"

...

That was the worst rally speech I've ever heard.

"You're gonna have to take your seat," the bus driver tells her.

She walks back, trying to find an open seat. She eventually sits next to me and looks to her left. "Hi, Sugarcoat."

"That was a really bad speech. You should consider not speaking in public." For somebody named Sugarcoat, she's not afraid to tell people exactly what she's thinking.

Twilight looks at me. "Hi, um... uh..."

"Olivia."

"Right, Olivia. Sorry. It's been a while since we first talked, and you're not in any of my classes."

"No, it's fine. Most people only know me as the girl from CHS."

" _You're_ the CHS girl?"

"Uh... Yeah?"

"Did you notice anything strange happening at that school?"

"Other than one girl ruling over the student body and the students being segregated into cliques?"

"Yes, other than the usual high school drama."

"Not that I can remember."

"When did you transfer to Crystal Prep?"

"Seven months ago."

"So you were there on the third Friday of the month."

"No, I left the weekend before."

"Oh..." She looks disappointed.

"Why are you on the Friendship Games team? This doesn't seem like something you'd participate in."

"Principal Cinch... persuaded me to join."

"I see..." The bus starts to move. "She convinced me to join, too."

"She did?"

"Well, more like she forced me to. She figures if they see a former Wondercolt playing for their rivals, it'll throw them off their game. She knows about my history with CHS, so I don't know why she'd want me to go back."

"Are you any good at the events?"

"She implied there won't be any running and jumping, so maybe."

"What's wrong with running and jumping?"

"My right leg... It's..." How do I put this... "It can't handle the shock of too many hard impacts. Doesn't help that my class schedule is all over the place. My locker's on the top floor, my first class is on the middle floor, second class is on the ground floor, lunch is on the middle floor, third class is on the top floor, and my final class is on the bottom floor."

"Wow... That sounds tiring for someone with two _good_ legs."

"No kidding. It takes me like 20 seconds to go up each flight of stairs. I have to go up... Twenty, forty... Sixty..."

"120 steps each way."

That was quick. "Right. It wasn't an issue at CHS, but here, I have to be very careful with how I walk up and down them." I swear she has it out for me... I notice Twilight has some sort of necklace. "What's that thing around your neck?"

"It's sort of a spectrometer. It tracks electromagnetic frequencies."

"Like a P.E. Meter."

"A... what?"

Guess she doesn't have time for movies. "Never mind."

"There's some strange energy coming from CHS, and I'll be using this to determine its origin and contain some of it for further research."

"Is that why you asked me that stuff earlier?"

"I've been meaning to ask the CHS girl about it for a while, but I didn't know who it was."

"Sorry I couldn't be more help. Everything was normal when I left. Well, as normal as that school could get."

This is probably the most she's ever talked to anyone. It's definitely the most _I've_ talked to anyone since coming here. Maybe she'd want to this time.

"So, um... I heard you don't have any friends. And, well... I was wondering..."

"I told you before. I don't have time for relationships."

Are you serious?! "Bullshit!"

"Eep...!"

"Nobody at school wants to spend any time with you. I get that. But when you reject the one person who _does_ wanna spend time with you..."

"I-I have to study!"

"Every waking hour?! Shit, if you can't spend even _one hour a day_ with someone, what _else_ don't you have time for? Bathing?!"

"Of course I bathe! I'm not a slob!"

"What do you do, study in the shower?!"

...

I went a bit overboard... "I'm sorry, Twilight. I'm just frustrated that everyone ignores me."

"I understand."

"At least give it some thought. I'd like to have someone to hang out with, even if it's only for a few minutes like today."

"I'll consider it." Better than a flat-out 'no'.

* * *

I step off the bus and sign in with Dean Cadance. Back at Canterlot High. I had the entire bus ride to calm myself, but now that I'm here, I'm super nervous. I'm about to walk back into the hornets' nest, or however that saying goes. I look around. All of the Shadowbolts team is here except Twilight. Where did she go?

As usual, the other Crystal Prep students are ignoring me. I'm actually surprised. I figured at least _Sugarcoat_ would say something about the CHS girl being back at CHS.

I put my earbuds in and play a DragonHearts song on my phone. I'm not a huge metal fan, but I overheard Lemon Zest listening to them and they sounded pretty good.

As epic as the guitar solo sounds, it's just a typical DH solo. The build-up immediately after stands out the most, and I can't help but air guitar that part whenever it comes up. It's so awesome!

When the song's over, I take out my earbuds. I think I can see Cloudflare standing by the school's entrance. Someone's with him, who looks a little like -

"Having fun?" Twilight has returned from wherever she ran off to.

"Where'd you disappear to?" I ask her.

"I got a reading on my device, and I followed it into the school. When I was outside the music room, it started absorbing some type of purple energy."

"Purple energy?"

Her device makes some type of noise. She looks at it, then walks toward the Wondercolts statue. Why would there be anything odd about a statue?

"That was some awesome air guitaring," Lemon Zest says to me. "What song was that?"

I walk over to her. "Thanks. It was 'No More Tonight' by DragonHearts."

"Ah, _that_ song. That's a kick-ass build-up!"

"I know, right? I always air guitar during that."

"I didn't know you were a fan."

"I heard you listening to them a few months ago, so I decided to give them a try."

"What other bands do you listen to?"

"A whole bunch, but usually only a few from each."

"Any bands you know a lot of songs from?"

"Only a few. Rushed, The Progeny, and DragonHearts."

"Hard rock, punk rock, and power metal..."

"I'll listen to songs from any genre as long as the songs aren't shit."

"You seem pretty cool. Why have we never hung out before?"

"Because I'm the CHS girl, and nobody wants anything to do with me."

"Oh, right... Well, maybe when the games are over..."

"Olivia, Lemon Zest," Dean Cadance says, "we're going to the gym."

"Coming!" Lemon runs ahead.

I sigh. That's the closest anyone's come to wanting to hang out with me.

* * *

They did a nice job of decorating the gym. Streamers, balloons, and even a disco ball. The welcome banner could've been less plain, though. Put a lot of effort into sprucing up the gym, then half-ass the thing welcoming the students?

Well, time to stir up the hornets' nest. I walk toward the Crystal Prep side, passing several CHS students. To my surprise, even though they're looking at me, they say nothing. I _know_ a couple of them teased me before. Is the uniform fooling them or do they actually not remember me? Either way, I'm relieved.

"How does it feel to be back?" Lemon asks when I reach the other side.

"Honestly, I was hella nervous. I didn't exactly transfer out of CHS on good terms."

"How so? Get in an argument with the principals?"

"The other students didn't like me."

"Why not? You seem like a nice girl."

"And if they gave me a chance, they would've seen that. I don't wanna say why they teased me."

"Oh, come on. It can't be _that_ bad."

"It's not, but my school life was ruined because of it. I don't wanna take the chance with _any_ Crystal Prep students knowing."

"Are you a lesbian?"

...What?! "No!"

"It's alright if you are. I won't tell anybody."

"I'm NOT a lesbian!"

"Bisexual?"

"No, I'm straight! Just stop guessing!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh... I was just curious."

"I know, but I have my reasons for not telling anyone."

"I understand. We all have our secrets."

"I'm gonna check out the snacks. You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

I walk over to the snack table in front of the stage. Radishes, carrots, cheese on toothpicks, ranch dip... They couldn't spring for a plate of cookies?

"Olivia?" That sounded like...

I turn around. Light orange skin, short green-blue hair... "Cloudflare?"

He smiles. "It's been a while."

That _was_ him earlier! "Oh my gosh, I _knew_ it was you!" The two of us hug. I'm so glad to see him again!

"I didn't know you went to Crystal Prep. How have things been going for you?"

"Well, the students aren't teasing me. They're not talking to me at all, actually. Aside from one... weird student."

"Weird how?"

"He has some... obsession with feet. I don't wanna go into it." I'm just glad that freak kept quiet.

"I see... So you're on the Shadowbolts team for the Friendship Games?"

"Principal Cinch forced me to join. She said it would throw you guys off your game to see an ex-Wondercolt. Though from what I've seen, they don't even remember me."

"I heard a rumor that one of the events is jumping over hay bales. Doesn't she know about your prosthetic?"

"Wait, what?! I have to jump over..." He can't be serious! "What the hell?! That bitch _does_ have it out for me!"

"Calm down. I'm sure she just forgot."

"My classes are across all three floors! I have to go up and down 240 steps every day!" I don't care _what_ she says. I am _not_ jumping over anything!

"Hello, everyone!" Principal Celestia is standing on the stage. "I'd like to take this opportunity to greet all of our visitors from Crystal Prep Academy and welcome them to CHS."

"Are they still incompetent?" I ask Cloudflare.

"Sorta. They still seem oblivious to most of the stuff that goes on."

Some things never change. "Sunset Shimmer still runs the place, huh?"

"Uh... Well..."

"And lastly," Celestia says, "I would like to recognize the twelve students that CHS has elected to compete." I look around as the CHS team waves. "I don't think we could have chosen a better group to represent the excellence, sportsmanship, and friendship the games stand for." I recognize the muffin girl, Rainbow Dash, Lyra Heartstrings, Sweetie Drops, and that blue-haired guy... What was his name, again? Chad?

Wait, Sunset Shimmer is on their team?! "She could've chosen somebody other than Shimmer. But I guess when you have the principals in the palms of your hands..."

"Yeah... About that... Sunset Shimmer is... Well... She's..." A bitch? Yeah, I know that.

The lights go out, the disco ball lowers from the ceiling, and music starts playing. Students from both sides are talking with each other.

"Nice way to break the ice," I say.

"Yeah, Pinkie's good at that. So anyway, as I was saying... Sunset Shimmer..."

There's a loud bang, then confetti rains down.

"Wait, Pinkie used an _actual_ party cannon? I thought that was a metaphor for the meet-n-greet being a blast."

"At least it got everyone together." Most of the students are dancing. "Things sure have changed since I left."

"...how much..."

"What was that?"

He sighs. "Sunset Shimmer and I are friends."

Did... Did I hear him right? "Sunset Shimmer? The same Sunset Shimmer who ruined my life and yours? Did you hit your head on something?!"

"She's changed! She's nice now."

 _Nice?!_ "You've gotta be kidding! This is _Sunset Shimmer_ we're talking about!"

"Yes, and _Sunset Shimmer_ isn't a heartless -"

Someone taps on a microphone, producing loud feedback. The lights turn back on, and Principal Cinch is on-stage. "I'd like to thank Principal Celestia for her unconventional welcome. It's been four years since the last Friendship Games, but it feels as though nothing has changed. Canterlot High continues to pick its competitors in a popularity contest and Crystal Prep continues to field its top twelve students."

The students walk back to their respective side. I do the same. _Friends_ with Sunset Shimmer...

"It is a comfort to know that even after so many years of _losses_ , your school remains committed to its ideals, however _misguided_ they may be. I wish you all the best of luck, regardless of the _inevitable_ outcome."

Shimmer made all of last school year miserable for me. Then at the start of this school year, she did the same to Cloudflare. So why the hell would he be friends with her? I'd say it's a practical joke, but he's not the type to do something like that.

* * *

 *****That night*****

I sit at my computer. Okay, let's see... Canterlot High School, Fall Formal...

"Canterlot High Crowns New Princess on a Truly Magical Night"

New princess? I guess the students got tired of Shimmer's shit.

"Sunset Shimmer's dream of a clean sweep was brought to an end, as newcomer Twilight Sparkle was crowned Princess of the Fall Formal in a landslide victory."

I'm... not reading that wrong. It definitely says "Twilight Sparkle". Maybe they meant to put "Twilight Sprinkle". Sparkle has always gone to Crystal Prep. The rest of the article goes on to explain Sprinkle's campaign process and Shimmer's attempt at ruining her image. That sounds like the Sunset Shimmer I know, not the "nice girl" bullcrap Cloudflare mentioned. It doesn't say anything about strange things happening that night, though I guess the Queen Bitch being dethroned is strange enough. A search of "canterlot high strange things" doesn't turn up any relevant articles. Maybe I'll press Twilight for more info tomorrow.


	3. Friday, events 1 and 2

I get on the bus and make my way to the back.

"Yo, Olivia!" Lemon Zest pats the seat next to her. Sure, why not? I sit next to her. "I take it things went well with that CHS boy yesterday?"

"Somewhat. He's my ex-boyfriend."

"Ouch..."

"It was a mutual breakup, and we were kinda forced to. When the students found out we were dating, they began teasing him as well. We thought breaking up would make things better, but it didn't. It actually got worse for me."

"And then you moved away?"

I nod. "I reached my breaking point. I couldn't stay there any longer. Crystal Prep was the only school available on such short notice. Sugarcoat said Crystal Prep students don't associate themselves with CHS students, but I'm okay with that. It's a step up from not wanting to risk being made fun of for befriending me."

The bus starts moving.

"You didn't have any friends at CHS?"

"Not until that boy took a chance. I found a note in my locker one day last March, and it told me to meet someone in a dark area of the school."

"Sounds like he wanted to kick your ass."

"I was really nervous, but the note said they just wanted to talk. When I met him, he told me he wanted to hang out, and since he was the only person who was nice to me, I gave it a shot. Most of the time we spent hanging out was at his house or mine. At some point during the summer, I started to become attracted to him, and a couple weeks before school started back up, we started going out. That was the happiest I felt in years. Then somehow, the Queen Bitch of Canterlot High found out, ruined his life, further ruined mine, and forced me to leave."

"Wow... I had no idea."

"Then I came back yesterday to find out he's become friends with the same girl! Has he lost his damn mind?!"

"Maybe she's not a bitch anymore."

"She ruled the school since the Fall Formal last school year. There's no way she's turned over a new leaf! I mean, he said she changed, and I trust him more than her, but..."

"Why not give her a chance?"

"I..." I sigh. "I just don't see her acting like a nice girl and actually meaning it. Besides, you weren't there. You don't know how awful she was."

"Then talk it out with that boy. At least hear his side."

"Yeah... I guess you're right." I still think it's a trick, like when she was dating that blue-haired guitarist.

"So how was he?"

"He was nice. Nicest person I've met in a long time."

"No, I mean in bed."

In... "What?! Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Just wondering."

"We only went out for two months! We never even got to second base!"

"Well, did you at least make out with him?"

"We kissed a few times after school started, but it never got passionate."

"You two sounded like a boring couple."

"Sorry I don't have any juicy details for you," I say sarcastically.

"I'm sorry _he_ didn't get any juicy details from you," she says with a wink.

Okay... This conversation is getting uncomfortable fast. "Uh... C-Can we talk about something else?"

* * *

"Welcome to the first event: The Academic Decathlon!" Dean Cadance says. "You'll be scored on chemistry, home-ec and everything in between. But remember, only the six students from each team with the most points will move on to event number two. Good luck!"

Cloudflare is standing next to Sunset Shimmer. She doesn't _look_ like her usual self, and her outfit's different from what I remember, but I'm still suspicious.

* * *

Twilight and Sunset are solving a geometry problem, and whoever gets it right, or right first, wins the first event for their team.

I'm terrible at chemistry, but that round was really easy. When they lay out exactly what you need and give you specific directions, it's nearly impossible to fail. I say 'nearly' because the muffin girl somehow managed to mess hers up. Why wasn't _she_ one of Shimmer's targets? Those eyes are way more obvious than my prosthetic.

Making a birdhouse was simple enough. I actually enjoyed wood shop in middle school, and Lemon shared my enthusiasm. The final result wasn't anything special, but I was still proud of it. Two of the CHS students made the most pitiful excuse for a birdhouse I've ever seen. It was barely held together, and they used a twig for the perch. A _twig!_ On the other end, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat somehow made a two-storey birdhouse, complete with a _railing_ , out of the materials for a one-storey.

The spelling bee was almost a complete disaster. The first five students on each team didn't spell their words correctly, including me. It came down to Cloudflare and Twilight in a spell-off, and they went back and forth a few times. Twilight misspelled a word, then Cloudflare spelled his correctly to win for his team. After he was done celebrating, he ran over to Shimmer and gave her a hug. What was _that_ about?

Somehow, my performance in all of those was good enough to advance to the second event. I'm not sure if I actually did well or Cinch convinced the other principals to let me advance. Probably the latter.

Shimmer sets her piece of chalk down, followed by Twilight. Principal Cinch checks the answers, then points to Shimmer. "Incorrect."

If I was any better than decent at geometry, I'd try to find where she went wrong. Someone on the CHS side takes a photo. I don't think now's the time for that.

"That means the winner of the Friendship Games' first event," Luna says, "is Twilight Sparkle and Crystal Prep!"

Bored applause. Guess it's hard to get excited over a repeat performance.

I join Lemon, Indigo, Sunny Flare, and Sugarcoat as they walk onto the stage. "After a careful tally of the points," Dean Cadance says, "we'd like to present the students moving on to the Friendship Games' second event." On the other side, Cloudflare, Shimmer, Rainbow, Pinkie, the purple-haired girl, and the girl with the cowboy hat are moving on.

So far, the Wondercolts haven't been "thrown off their game" by my presence. If Cloudflare can stay focused, so can everybody else.

* * *

I walk outside. Cloudflare and his friends, and Shimmer, are standing in front of the statue.

Now's as good a time as any. I walk toward them. "Cloudflare!" He looks at me. "We need to talk."

He looks at the others. "I'll catch up." He turns back to me.

"I thought about what you said about Sunset Shimmer."

"Like I said, she's changed."

"I _want_ to believe you. I'm just having trouble seeing her as a nice girl."

"I was the same way. How could someone who made my life a living hell suddenly turn over a new leaf?"

"Exactly!"

"But then I saw her help save the school last month, and I was convinced."

"Save the school?"

"It's a long story."

What does he mean by that? Save the school from what? Was it threatened to be torn down?

"Of course... _another_ pony-up." He runs off.

Pony-what? "Hey, wait up!" I walk over to him. I'd rather run, but I'm not risking it.

One of the girls on the Wondercolts team is... floating? She has animal ears and wings, and something yellow is being drained from her. Twilight's there as well, and that stuff is being absorbed by her pendant thing. Around them are several holes in midair.

"What the hell..." Is time and space being ripped apart? And what's up with that girl?

A dog jumps through the holes and gets caught in whatever that yellow stuff is.

"Spike!" The holes disappear and the other girl catches the dog and hands it to Twilight. "Spike! Are you okay?" Why did she bring her dog with?

"Um... I think so."

What _was_ all that... and did I just hear -

Twilight yelps and lets go of her dog. She runs away, and he gives chase.

"Twilight, wait!" It _was_ her dog who said that...

What the hell is going on at this school?! "Uh... I better get going. I need to... adjust my prosthetic." I walk back to the front doors.

Sunset Shimmer's a nice girl, students are growing wings, and dogs are talking. Either I've entered the Midnight Zone, I'm dreaming, or someone slipped something into that fruit punch.

* * *

"You will race in pairs," Principal Cinch says to the six of us at the site of the second event. "Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat will handle the motocross."

"Yes!" Is there anything Indigo _doesn't_ get excited for?

"Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare have requested the rollerskate track."

They high-five.

"Since archery is a standard requirement in our school, any of you should be able to do it. Twilight and Olivia will start us off."

Cloudflare was right about the hay bales. "Can Sour Sweet take my place? I can't jump over those things."

"If you can handle taking the stairs, you can handle a little running and jumping."

"Yeah, because I take my time on them."

"Which means you shouldn't have any problems."

"But my... leg... isn't supposed to -"

"And there _won't_ be any problems from either of you."

I guess I don't have a choice. "Fine..." If I move at a slow pace, there's no way we'll win. Hopefully a fast walk will be good enough.

* * *

Twilight and I walk to the start of the course.

Maybe I'll go faster if I skip. I try it, leading with my right leg until I get to the start of the course. Yeah, that'll work. Not as fast as running, but definitely safer.

"What was _that?_ " Twilight asks.

"I can't run, so I wanted to try skipping."

"How can your leg be _that_ bad? Do you have arthritis or something?"

"It..." I can tell her. She keeps to herself, and bragging about it wouldn't benefit her in the slightest. "I have a prosthetic leg."

"A... prosthetic leg?"

I pull my sock down far enough for her to see the top of the limb, then pull it back up. "It's not designed to take the impact from running and jumping. Principal Cinch knows about it, but she's still forcing me to compete."

"I'm... sure she wouldn't jeopardize a student's well-being like that. Maybe it slipped her mind."

"240 stairs say otherwise."

"But why would she -"

"I'm a former Wondercolt. That's why."

Cloudflare and one of his teammates join us at the starting line.

"Olivia? _You're_ running this course?"

I sigh. "Like I said, Principal Cinch is forcing me to compete."

"Didn't you tell her you can't do this?"

"Of course I did! She said, and I quote, 'If you can handle taking the stairs, you can handle a little running and jumping'."

"What the hell is her problem?"

"It's because I'm an ex-CHS student."

"Why not transfer back? At least here, the principals don't make you run a marathon."

Transfer back... "That doesn't sound like a bad idea right about now..."

"Welcome, everyone," Dean Cadance says over the PA system, "to the Friendship Games Tri-Cross Relay!" The crowd cheers. "In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in archery, speed skating, and finally, motocross."

"Good luck," Cloudflare says.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it just to get over the first bale." If I actually _get_ that far.

"So, if the competitors are ready..."

I get ready to take off, and Dean Cadance blows the air horn.

Cloudflare gets to his bale first, and he swings his legs around the top of it. Well, at least I don't have to jump. I reach mine and carefully climb over it. At his second bale, he tumbles across it, and the crowd cheers louder. Show-off...

"CHS trying to win some style points!"

I repeat my slow climb over the second one. I reach the platform and grab an arrow holder, then climb onto the platform.

Three gaps, each a meter apart, with a pit of mud beneath. "What the heck is this?!" I _hope_ they don't expect me to... "Do I _have_ to jump?!"

"Yes, you have to jump."

I _knew_ something like this would happen. Okay, let's see... There's greater shock from landing than pushing off, so I need to lead with my left leg at the first gap. I take a deep breath. Just get it over with... I start running.

Shit, I started on the wrong leg! Too late now. I'm already at the gap. Gotta roll with it. Right, left, right. At least I got across, but my stump already feels sore.

I pick up the bow. Just hit the bulls-eye and block out the discomfort. There's one arrow in the top target.

"It wasn't difficult enough to hit the center of a _stationary_ target?" Sounds like he's having trouble.

I load an arrow and aim at the bottom target. Remember what you learned. Speed of the target, distance from the target... No wind...

Right... Now! I release the arrow, and it hits the target dead center. That was much easier than the other stuff. Why couldn't it just be this? I give a thumbs-up to Twilight, who starts running.

Cloudflare's still struggling. One arrow is in the outer ring, one's to the right of the center, one's to the _left_ of the center, and another missed the target completely.

I need to rest my legs. I sit on the edge of the platform. "Shit..." I'm probably gonna end up limping when I try to walk.

"You okay?" Cloudflare walks up to me. Guess he finally hit the target.

"My stump hurts a little." I sigh. "I _told_ her I couldn't do this..."

"You have your cream, right?"

"Not _with_ me. She said I had to leave it at the school."

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

I'm hoping it's just irritation. The last thing I need is for a rash to break out. I don't want to go back to crutches... or my wheelchair. I _hate_ that thing.

Cloudflare's teammate reaches the platform. I look behind me, and Twilight's here as well. His teammate gets a bulls-eye on her second shot.

"And Canterlot's off to an early lead."

"How did you get it first try?" he asks.

"We're required to learn archery at Crystal Prep. I've had time to practice." I look at Twilight's target. There are three arrows in the backboard. A fourth shot barely misses the target.

"Was Twilight exempt from the lessons?" he asks.

"She keeps her head buried in books. It doesn't surprise me that she's crap at this."

"Whee!" Pinkie Pie's just as cheerful as I remember.

"If CPA can't hit another bullseye soon, they'll be out of this race."

Twilight drops one of her arrows. Wow, she's a nervous wreck.

"You're really bad at this!" Not helping, Sugarcoat.

" _Really?_ " Cloudflare responds. "'Cause I think she's doing _great!_ " You're not helping, either.

"Of course you'd think that! She's not on your team!"

The other girl walks onto Twilight's platform. "Ya have to stop aimin' at the target," she tells Twilight.

Wait, what? "Don't aim at the target? What do you want her to aim at, my leg? Actually, go right ahead. I probably need a new one, anyway."

"Don't you have a spare?" Cloudflare asks.

"Yes, but I need _another_ spare to replace this one."

"Ya have to stop aimin' at where the target _is_ and aim at where it's _gonna be_." That's, like, one of the first things we learned! How did she forget that? "Just trust me. Take a deep breath..." Twilight does so. "Let the arrow go... Right..."

...

"Now!"

Twilight lets go, and the arrow hits the bulls-eye. About time!

"Yeah! That's my girl!" I'm still a bit freaked out that her dog can suddenly talk.

I can get away with a quick peek. I lower my right sock just enough to see the top of the prosthetic. Nothing _looks_ wrong, but my stump's still sore. I'll have to check it later.

"I'd say I didn't see that coming," Cloudflare says, "but I'd be lying."

"See what coming?" I look back. The orange girl is glowing. "She's glowing, too? What's the deal with that, anyway?"

"Long story. I'll explain later." Twilight's device hovers in front of her. "Crap!" As he climbs onto the platform, her device starts absorbing the other girl's orange... aura, I guess?

"What... are... you... doing?!"

"I don't know!"

Cloudflare tries to close the device, but his hand slips off and into the aura. Twilight closes it, but loses her balance and falls back. I carefully stand up to get a better view. She's on the ground and the device is on the rollerskate track. A hole has opened in front of her, and a green vine creeps out from it. A few more... portals, I guess they are... appear next to the platform I'm standing on.

"Canterlot only has two laps to go, but it looks like Crystal Prep is making up for lost time!"

Seriously, what the hell is going on with this school? I tap Cloudflare on the shoulder. "How about explaining now?"

He sighs, then turns around. "The girls on my team have magic from a world of colorful, talking ponies, and Twilight has some sort of device that steals magic."

Um... What? "Magic? Colorful, talking ponies? Are you high?! What the hell kind of explanation is that?!"

"It's the truth!"

"No it's not! Magic isn't real!"

"Then how do you explain the holes and vines?"

"Uh... Time and space being ripped apart?" Makes a hell of a lot more sense than magic.

"And what about Applejack's pony ears?"

"Well... Um..." Maybe...

Someone screams.

"Twilight!"

A vine has wrapped around her ankle and is dragging her toward the portal. Another has a pair of mouth-like leaves on the end of it. Cloudflare jumps off the platform, runs to her, and bites the vine. It lets go, and another grabs his ankle.

He looks at me. "I could use a little help here!"

"No way! I'm not losing my leg to that thing!"

"Who cares about that?! You have a spare!"

"At my house, yeah! And you remember my history with this school! Crystal Prep students will be even worse!"

"You'd let your ex-boyfriend become plant food because you're afraid of the CPA students?! They only care about winning! How would making fun of you benefit them in any way?!"

"I'm not taking that chance!"

"I tried saving Twilight, a girl I don't even know, and you won't even _try_ to save your only friend from CHS?!"

I understand what he's saying. I just don't want to risk that thing grabbing my prosthetic and yanking it off.

I look at the motocross track. A bigger plant is chasing after two of the students. Someone else crashes into it, slamming it into the ground. The person stands on it. That's Rainbow Dash, and she has wings. "Who _else_ is this gonna happen to?"

The students cross the finish line. "Canterlot wins!" I'm not sure if you noticed, Dean Cadance, but there are killer plants on the loose. "Attention students. Please proceed to the gym."

The plants disappear back into the portals and the portals close. I'm getting the hell out of here before something else happens. I get off the platform, and my stump is still bothering me as I walk. I pass the Wondercolts team, and Rainbow still has those wings.

"Is everybody alright?"

"Better than alright! We won!" Guess some of Crystal Prep's ego rubbed off on her when she was spying on us.

I walk over to the Wondercolts statue. Nobody's around, so I think I can check real quick. I rest my back against it and remove my prosthetic. The stump is a little red. I was afraid of that. I sigh. "Can't even reduce the irritation. I'm gonna be on crutches until Monday at the least." I put it back on. "Well, nothing I can do for now. Just gotta take it easy." I limp toward the front door.

I hear someone behind me. I turn around, and Cloudflare runs past me. It sounds like... he's crying? I bet it was Sunset Shitter. I _knew_ that bitch was putting on an act. 'Nice girl' my ass!


	4. Friday, event 3

"I know I'm asking you to beat a team that isn't playing fair," Principal Cinch says, "but Canterlot High must be made to understand that even with magic at their disposal, beating Crystal Prep is simply not an option."

"What if they grow wings again?" Sugarcoat asks.

"A fair question. Though I believe we can now fight fire with fire." She looks at Twilight. "I've seen what your device can do, Twilight. Containing magical energy is fine, but have you considered releasing it?" Is she seriously suggesting...

"But I don't even understand how it works."

"But you _want_ to. Since our opponents have already used it to stay competitive, I see no reason why we shouldn't do the same. Unless, of course, you have no _interest_ in Everton."

"Everton?" Really? " _That's_ why you wanted Twilight on our team? No offense to her, but she couldn't even aim her arrows properly! She's a liability, and you forced her to join because she wants to go to Everton?!"

"I merely gave her a choice. She could've easily said no."

"But why would you hold something like that over her head? You bribed her!"

"Watch your mouth, cripple girl," Sugarcoat says.

"Cripple girl..." What...? "How... How did you..."

"Principal Cinch told us about your disability, dearie," Sunny Flare says. "Keep your trap shut and we won't spread the word."

"You wouldn't..." I can't deal with all that again!

" _Try us_ ," Sour Sweet says.

"Sorry, girl," Lemon Zest says. "School comes first."

"Crystal Prep _always_ wins," Cinch says. "If we have to stoop to their level, then so be it."

I put my hands on Twilight's shoulders. "Twilight, don't listen to them. You don't even _care_ about this dumb rivalry!"

"What she cares about is Everton," Cinch says.

"And if you care about your reputation," Sugarcoat says, "you'll mind your own business."

I can't let her do this... but at the same time, I don't want to go through all that crap again...

...

I let go of her and step back.

"That's a good girl," Cinch says. She returns her attention to Twilight. "Honestly, if you want my opinion, I think there's more knowledge packed in that little device than any independent study program could offer."

I thought them only caring about winning was exaggerated. But this...

"I understand you have your reservations. It's hard to have a brain as large as yours. But if we don't win these games, well, I think I've made it plain what will happen if we have the losing scores!"

 _Oh, wah oh wah, oh_

The hell...? A song?

"Call it power, call it magic. If we lose, it will be tragic. More important is the knowledge we'll have lost. A chance like this won't come again. You'll regret not giving in. Isn't understanding magic worth the cost?"

The students start circling Twilight. This is actually a bit frightening.

 _Unleash the magic  
Unleash the magic  
We're not friends here after all  
Our only interest in this business  
Is seeing Canterlot High School fall_

No wonder all of CHS hates them...

 _What I'm suggesting's very simple  
And since it's win-win on all scores,  
We only want to learn about the magic that you have stored_

Cinch moves Twilight between the other students as she continues singing.

 _And as for me and all the others,  
We only want what we deserve:  
That our school will clinch the win and my legacy will endure_

If I try to stop her, my reputation will be ruined. If I let her continue, I'll regret not doing anything. Either way, I'm gonna hate the rest of my time at that school.

* * *

 _"Why not transfer back? At least here, the principals don't make you run a marathon."_

* * *

Cloudflare's right. After this is over, I'm asking Principal Celestia if I can transfer back. The students don't remember me, so I have nothing to worry about.

Twilight's walking toward the other team, and she takes off her device.

 _Unleash the magic, free the magic now_

No... I can't let her... "Twilight! Don't do it!" I try to run to her, but the female students hold me back.

 _Imagine all I'll learn by setting it free_

"If both teams are ready..."

 _And now winning these games depends on me_

"You're making a mistake! Please listen to me!" I try forcing my way through, but they're not budging.

 _And what doors might open if I try to use it_

"The last event of the Friendship Games begins..."

 _But the magic's what I really want to see_

She's opening the device.

"Sunset! Stop her!" That sounded like Cloudflare.

"Twilight!" I lunge forward, breaking free of their grip. As soon as I step forward, I lose my balance and fall.

"Twilight! No!"

 _Unleash the magic, free the magic..._

"Now!"

I look up, and there's a bright white flash. The ball of magic contained in the device starts growing, and she hovers in the air. Maybe I can still stop this! I go to stand up, and my right leg almost gives out again, forcing me to my hands and knees to avoid another faceplant. Not now... Why now?!

She's out of my reach, anyway. She looks back at us, scared. "Help... me!" She reaches an arm toward us as the magic ball fully engulfs her. There's another bright flash.

Once I can see again, I look up. Twilight's clothes have changed into what looks like a strapless, dark violet dress, with the back of it being much longer, making it look like she has a tail. Her hair looks like a flame of purple, magenta, and black. She's grown large, dark violet wings and a long, light blue horn. Two light blue flames are around her eyes, resembling glasses.

Please tell me this is a nightmare... Stuff like this can't happen in real life.

She laughs evilly. "You were right! I didn't understand magic before, but now I do!" She hits the statue with a magic blast, destroying the horse part and opening a portal. She aims a magic blast at the Wondercolts team, who barely get out of the way. Another portal opens at that spot.

As she continues opening portals, the students on both sides scatter. I should get going, too, but I can't walk. Guess I have to crawl.

"Twilight, you can't do this!" That sounds like...

"Why not?! There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!" Twilight opens another portal.

"But you're destroying _this_ world to get it!" Sunset Shimmer?

"So what?! There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!"

"If you want that world's magic," Cloudflare says, "why are you opening a bunch of small rifts? It'd be more efficient to just open one big rift!" Dumbass!

"You're not helping!" Rainbow yells.

"You idiot!" I yell. He's usually good at keeping his mouth shut, but whenever something doesn't make sense to him, he can't help but speak his mind.

"That's a great idea!" Twilight says. Sunset jumps out of the way of another magic attack, and the ground starts to break away just a few feet in front of me. I glance at what's in the hole. Is that... a town? A whole other world...

More of the ground begins to break away. Crap crap crap! I turn around and begin crawling, but as soon as I move, the ground my knees are on give way.

"Crap!"

Once I feel myself slipping, I grab onto the edge. I try to pull myself up, but I don't have the strength. I shut my eyes. I can't hold on forever... Somebody... Anybody...

The piece of ground my left hand is holding onto break away.

Anyone at all!

"Grab my hand!"

I open my eyes and look up. Cloudflare! I'm saved!

"Come on!"

I grab his hand with my left hand.

"Can you pull yourself up with the other?!"

"I'll try!" He puts his other hand on top of mine and starts to pull me up. I start pulling myself up with my right hand.

Suddenly, the other part of the ground crumbles away.

 _NO!_

"I've got you!" He's still holding onto my wrist, but now I'm dangling above certain death.

"Quick! Pull me up!" His hands start slipping. "Hurry!"

"I'm trying!" He's barely clinging to my fingers.

"Cloudflare!" My fingers start going numb.

What did I do to deserve this?! Was it because I became his friend? Should I have turned him away?

Someone else grabs my hand. It looks like... one of the students he used to hang out with.

"Grab her other hand!"

I hold my right hand up, and he takes ahold of it.

"On three," he says to the girl. "One... two... three!"

They pull me up and out of the hole. That's the closest I've ever been to dying. Even my accident didn't feel life-threatening. I carefully stand up.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Something's wrong with my prosthetic, though. If I put any weight on it, I lose my balance."

"At least you're safe."

I'm so glad he helped me out. I hug him. "Thanks a lot. If it weren't for you..."

"I couldn't have done it if C.C. didn't help out."

We separate and I look at her. "Thanks to you, too."

"It was nothing," she says. "I couldn't leave an old friend and his former GF hanging. We should get away from the hole."

"Good idea," Cloudflare says.

We walk away from the hole. Or rather, they walk and I hop. "Need any help?" he asks.

"Nah, I got it." It's annoying, but I can manage.

"This isn't the way!" Sunset says to Twilight. "I know you feel powerful right now, like you can have everything you want! I've been where you are. I've made the same mistake you're making. I put on a crown, and just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained. I thought it could get me everything I wanted."

"Oh, you're wrong. Unlike you, I _can_ have everything I want!"

"No you can't. Even with all that magic and power, you'll still be alone!" She hold the magic device up. "True magic comes from honesty..." An orange beam of light shoots up from one of the other girls. "Loyalty..." A blue light shoots up from Rainbow. "Laughter... generosity... kindness." The same happens with Pinkie and a couple other girls. The lights flow into the device, and Sunset starts hovering. "I understand you, Twilight, and I want to show you the most important magic of all..." She closes the device and throws it on the ground. The ball of magic engulfs her. When the light clears, she's wearing a pink dress with a skirt that looks like the bottom of her normal shirt. The back of the dress goes past her feet, resembling a tail. Her boots are orange with a sun on them. She has a horn and glowing yellow wings. "...the Magic of Friendship!"

Is that really her? "This... _is_ the same Sunset Shimmer who ruined our lives, right?"

"As I said, she's nice now," Cloudflare says. "Would she be trying to save this world if she was still a jerk?"

Sunset closes the rifts with her own magic.

"I guess not..." I'm conflicted. I haven't forgotten how she treated both of us, but she seems to have changed her ways.

"...fallen in love..."

Did I hear that right? He's _in love_ with her?

She and Twilight charge at each other, and they meet in the middle, creating another bright flash. They fire a magic blast at each other, and the two beams collide. Twilight starts pushing Sunset's back.

I guess if Cloudflare's... in love with her... maybe she _has_ changed. Then again, she was dating Flash Sentry for a few weeks and acted nice around him. It's possible she's trying the same tactics on Cloudflare.

"Twilight!"

She didn't sound like her usual self this time. Even when she was with Flash, she was still a bitch to everyone else.

Sunset pushes Twilight's magic attack back at her.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

...

And now, she saved the world.

...

The light fades, and Sunset and Twilight float to the ground, both back to normal. The giant hole is gone.

I look around. "Is this a regular thing?" I ask. "None of the CHS students look phased by all this."

"When evil magic threatens the school for the third time in the same school year, you get used to it." _Third time?!_

Cloudflare walks toward them, and I follow.

"Principal Celestia," Principal Cinch says, "on behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games! Clearly, CHS has had an unfair advantage for quite some time! And it's _obvious_ that your students have been using magic for their own benefit!" You mean the same magic _you_ tried to use for _your_ own benefit?!

" _I'd_ like to think that saving the world benefits us all," Celestia says.

"At least they didn't manipulate Twilight into releasing all the stolen magic and turning into a power-crazed magical creature that tried to rip the world apart just to win a game." I know Sugarcoat always speaks her mind, but I've never heard her say that much all at once.

"And I thought _Pinkie_ was loquacious," Cloudflare says.

"Stick to small words. You're not a sesquipedalian just because you can spell."

You win one spelling bee, and suddenly you become a wordsmith...

"That's ridiculous!" Cinch says.

"Nope, that's pretty much what happened," Twilight's dog says.

Yeah, I'm transferring back.

"Actually," Sour Sweet says, "we're _all_ to blame. Mostly it was her!"

"Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but -"

She doesn't care at all! "You bitch! Ever since I came to Crystal Prep, you've treated me like shit!" I hop up to her. "I've had to go up and down 240 stairs every day for the past seven months, even after I gave you a doctor's note that says I can't! Two days ago, you forced me to compete in these games when you _knew_ my history with CHS! Then I found out I had to jump over stuff for the second round, and I told you my prosthetic isn't designed for jumping! You said to suck it up! And now it's damaged! I can't even put my weight on it! And _finally,_ you _blackmail_ me when I try to prevent all that magic from getting out of control! You've hated me since the day I arrived, and I'm -"

"Young lady, that is -"

"Go ahead! Suspend me!" I take off my prosthetic. "Tell everybody about my missing leg! I don't care anymore! I'm done with your piece-of-crap school!"

"I'll deal with your insubordination _after_ I take all of this up with the school board!"

"Good," Celestia says. "I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings."

"And the portals to another dimension," Luna says.

"Don't forget about the talking dog," Cadance says with a giggle.

"'Cause that would _never_ ruin your reputation," Twilight's dog says.

She nervously looks around, then straightens her shirt and walks away.

"I know these Friendship Games haven't been what any of us expected," Celestia says, "but given what we've all just been through, I think it's fair to declare us all winners." So... it's a tie?

The students cheer.

"I'm just glad this whole thing's over," I say. It felt so great being able to vent like that.

"Um... Cloudflare?" Sunset walks up to Cloudflare. "I... I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. When I found out Twilight was behind those magic pop-ups, I lost my cool." So _that's_ why he was crying.

"I know. When you did that, I thought you went back to your old ways. I felt heartbroken. After AJ talked to me about it, I realized I overreacted. Everyone flips out over something once in a while." Like me a minute ago.

She looks at me. "And Olivia... I'm so sorry for how I treated you. I can't change what I've done, but maybe we can start over."

I sigh. "I'm not entirely convinced you've changed."

"I know you're hesitant," Cloudflare says, "and I was the same way. If you give her a chance, you'll see she's a completely different person. Pinkie Promise." He waves his right arm around, then covers his right eye with his hand.

I close my eyes. Sunset ruined my life. She drove me away from this school. No way in hell would I believe her for a second. On the other hand, she just saved the world. I trust Cloudflare, and if he says she's changed...

"Okay." I open my eyes. "One chance." The two of us shake hands. I lean toward Cloudflare. "If you're wrong, I won't hesitate to kick your ass." Though I hope I don't have to.

"I'd be in enough trouble for breaking a Pinkie Promise. You have nothing to worry about."


	5. Epilogue

*****Friday*****

"They seriously made fun of you because you have a prosthetic leg?" Lemon asks.

"It sounds silly," I say, "but yeah."

"Well, we weren't _really_ gonna tell all of Crystal Prep. The other students wouldn't even care. Principal Cinch wanted leverage in case you tried to stop her."

"I thought so, especially after Chip found out and didn't say anything. I just didn't want to risk it."

"Chip? That boy with blue and pink hair?"

"Yeah, the one obsessed with feet."

"That guy's a weirdo. Even if he _did_ tell everybody, no one takes him seriously. He's like an internet troll. If we ignore him, he'll leave us alone."

"At least I wasn't alone in thinking that."

"So, um... If you're not doing anything this weekend, you wanna hang out?"

"For real?"

"Absolutely."

I sigh. "I've been waiting six months for somebody to ask me, but... I'm thinking of transferring back to CHS."

"Really?"

"Even before I cursed out Cinch, I was considering going back. The students here apologized, and I have more friends now than I ever did last time I was here or over at Crystal Prep. I was gonna spend some time with them tomorrow."

"What about Sunday?"

"Uh... Sure, that works."

"Great! Meet me in the mall's food court at noon."

"Sounds good. See ya then."

I walk over to Cloudflare. "Not the day you were expecting, I assume," he says.

"Understatement of the year."

"So what are you gonna do now?"

"I thought about what you said earlier. I'm transferring back to CHS."

"Are you sure?"

"I talked with some of the students. They apologized for how they treated me. I think I'd actually like it here now."

"And after you blew up at Principal Cinch, she's probably more than happy to get rid of you."

"I'll go talk with Dean Cadance."

* * *

Principal Celestia, Twilight, and I walk over to Cloudflare and his friends.

"...own problems to worry about in Equestria," Sunset is saying to the others. "We can't expect her to always be around to help _us_."

"But maybe I can be?" Twilight says.

"It seems we have a new Wondercolt here at Canterlot High!" Celestia says.

"I'm not sure how much help I could be, but I'd like to try, if you would all give me a chance."

"And a returning Wondercolt!"

"I'm kinda glad I was roped into all this," I say. "I wouldn't have seen how much CHS has changed if Principal Bi- Cinch didn't have it out for me."

"Making the best of a bad situation," Cloudflare says.

"I'm sure I can count on all of you to help them feel at home," Celestia says.

Sunset puts an arm around Twilight. "You sure can!"

I have eight friends now. All it took was spending 2/3 of the school year at another school.

"Hey, Sunset? Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Cloudflare asks.

"Um... Okay..." They walk away from us.

"Today's been one hell of a day."

I look at the others. "So Rainbow, Pinkie... What were you two doing at Crystal Prep last week?"

"I wanted to scope out the competition," Rainbow says, "and I asked Cloudflare to tag along. Pinkie just kinda showed up and got us busted."

" _You're_ the one who blew our cover," Pinkie says to her.

"Because you don't know how to be stealthy! You have no indoor voice!"

"We weren't indoors, silly! We were outdoors!"

"Even if you're outside, you don't use your outdoor voice when spying!"

"I see why you didn't ask her," I say. "Why didn't Cloudflare run away with you?"

"He stuck around for a couple minutes to make sure no one was looking his direction before leaving."

"You were Cloudflare's girlfriend, correct?" Rarity asks me.

"That's right."

"Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Well... not really. When we met each other again yesterday, it never crossed my mind that we could start dating again, at least right away. We've been apart for too long. Besides, he likes Sunset now, and I'm okay with it as long as she doesn't hurt him."

"How did you know he likes her?" Applejack asks.

"He muttered something about falling in love with her earlier."

* * *

 *****Saturday*****

Twilight and I sit down with Cloudflare and the girls behind what's left of the Wondercolts statue.

Cloudflare asked Sunset out after the games last night. As long as she actually likes him back and isn't using him like she did her previous boyfriend, I'm okay with it. I'm glad he found someone after I left, even if it _is_ her.

"How's your leg doing?" he asks me.

"Well, thanks to Cinch's complete disregard for my well-being, I've got a rash on my stump. I can't wear my prosthetic until it goes away, and I'm seeing my physical therapist on Monday. So I have to use crutches for a while."

"Ouch. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"It wasn't all bad. I reconnected with you."

"That's true."

"So how have the past seven months been for you?"

"Bad and good, but mostly bad. For the first six months, things didn't get better. If anything, it got worse. After you left, Gilda turned her attention to me."

Gilda?! "She didn't!"

"Yeah... That was the worst. Every Thursday, she'd shove me into the locker doors just for the fun of it. She did it so hard once, I almost dislocated my shoulder. I guess she got bored of it, because starting in January, she only did it once a month. She stopped completely last month."

I had no idea... "Didn't you tell the principal?"

"Didn't _you_ tell the principal?"

"Good point."

"Anyway, last month, three girls who call themselves the Dazzlings showed up and sang a song about changing the annual musical showcase to a musical competition."

The Dazzlings? "The Dazzlings were at CHS?"

"Yeah. You know them?"

"They're the lead singers in the Crystal Prep choir. Sonata was in my History class. She's a bit of an airhead."

"I could see that. Anyway, they used their singing to turn the student body against each other and convince the principals to change the event to a battle. I wasn't affected by their song, so they told me they could help get revenge on the school for the months of torment."

I know Adagio's a little bossy, but she's not manipulative like that. "That doesn't sound like them. Or you."

"If someone came to you and said they could help you get back at Sunset Shimmer, wouldn't you join them too?"

"I guess... But why would they care about something like that?"

"They didn't. They used me."

"Used you?"

"I wasn't under their spell, but they were able to feed off my hatred for the school by putting their hands on my shoulders."

"'Under their spell'? 'Feed off your hatred'?" Is he suggesting... "You're not saying the Dazzlings have magic, are you?"

"I am. Well, the Dazzlings from Equestria are."

"That doesn't..." Now I'm confused. I sigh. "You've lost me."

I hear a sound, and someone emerges from the statue. Wait, what?

"I'm _so_ sorry I didn't get here sooner!" Twilight? "I didn't get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop and honestly, it was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me!" But isn't she...

I look to my left. Twilight's here. I look back at the other girl, and she also looks like Twilight, only with a different outfit, a different hairstyle, and no glasses.

"Make that... the second strangest..."

Oh, _that's_ what was strange about the statue. It spits out clones.


End file.
